By Ado Oyeyemi
The Nigeria Customs ServiceCustoms Intercepts Expired Drugs Worth N12.8bn, Seizes 1.8 Tonnes of Cannabis at Apapa Port
The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has intercepted expired pharmaceutical products with a Duty Paid Value of over N12.7bn and seized 1.8 tonnes of Cannabis sativa in separate intelligence-led operations at the Apapa Port.
The Command said the operations, carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and other regulatory agencies, were based on credible intelligence and enhanced risk profiling mechanisms.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, officers uncovered two 40-foot containers laden with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly intended for illegal relabelling and reintroduction into the Nigerian market.
Sulaiman described the attempted importation as a major threat to public health and an act of economic sabotage, noting that the seized pharmaceuticals had a combined Duty Paid Value of N12,784,479,341.72.
In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted a 40-foot container with identification number CAAU7569127 containing a large quantity of Cannabis sativa, commonly known as “Canadian Loud.”
The Command disclosed that 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grammes, were recovered from the container, bringing the total weight of the seizure to approximately 1,819 kilogrammes.
According to the statement, preliminary tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis sativa.
The drugs were reportedly concealed inside a vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, and hidden among bags and drums packed within the container.
Speaking on the seizures, the Customs Area Comptroller, Emmanuel Oshoba, warned smugglers and traffickers to abandon criminal activities, stressing that the service remained committed to safeguarding the nation’s economy and public health.
He said individuals involved in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals were undermining national development and would be identified and prosecuted.
Oshoba further stated that Apapa Port and other Customs-controlled facilities remained under constant surveillance, assuring that intelligence-driven enforcement operations would continue while legitimate trade activities were facilitated without disruption., Apapa Area Command, has intercepted expired pharmaceutical products with a Duty Paid Value of over N12.7bn and seized 1.8 tonnes of Cannabis sativa in separate intelligence-led operations at the Apapa Port.
The Command said the operations, carried out in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and other regulatory agencies, were based on credible intelligence and enhanced risk profiling mechanisms.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, officers uncovered two 40-foot containers laden with expired pharmaceutical products allegedly intended for illegal relabelling and reintroduction into the Nigerian market.
Sulaiman described the attempted importation as a major threat to public health and an act of economic sabotage, noting that the seized pharmaceuticals had a combined Duty Paid Value of N12,784,479,341.72.
In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted a 40-foot container with identification number CAAU7569127 containing a large quantity of Cannabis sativa, commonly known as “Canadian Loud.”
The Command disclosed that 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, each weighing 500 grammes, were recovered from the container, bringing the total weight of the seizure to approximately 1,819 kilogrammes.
According to the statement, preliminary tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis sativa.
The drugs were reportedly concealed inside a vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, and hidden among bags and drums packed within the container.
Speaking on the seizures, the Customs Area Comptroller, Emmanuel Oshoba, warned smugglers and traffickers to abandon criminal activities, stressing that the service remained committed to safeguarding the nation’s economy and public health.
He said individuals involved in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals were undermining national development and would be identified and prosecuted.
Oshoba further stated that Apapa Port and other Customs-controlled facilities remained under constant surveillance, assuring that intelligence-driven enforcement operations would continue while legitimate trade activities were facilitated without disruption.
